The Tiger and the Dragon
by Maur the Grey
Summary: A lonely creature, her husband having been destroyed, is seeking revenge on the warrior that took her family from her. REVIEW, DAMMIT! DO IT!
1. The Shadow

**...Yeah, I know I said that RR was my last story.**

**Fuck that. I lied.**

**This has been a work-in-progress that's been going on ever since the release of 'War Journal,' but a series of hardware failures has erase it...again...and again...and AGAIN...**

**You get the point. **

**This, is a SERIOUS story, and is NOT in script-format, as I reserve script format for humor fictions that need bare writing to better deliver the jokes. **

**By the way, you might have noticed that I'm recycling the title and space from anothyer story. This is because, for some reason, the school filter blocks the screen that lets me start a new story, so I have to make due with what I've got. **

**Sorry.**

**Anyhoos, here's chapter one! EEEeeeee...**

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In the forest, all was calm and quiet, the birds having settled down in their nests for the night, the half-moon tucked away behind a thin cover of cloud. The leaves swayed gently in the cool autumn breeze, bringing the tangy scent of far-away rain. It was almost midnight, and a comfortable, earthy silence had long since made itself known over the inhabitants of the forest and town of Happy Tree, who slumbered in their homes, alone or with their companions, unworried by the troubles of day.

In a clearing, a small shadow whipped through the grass, feet moving swiftly and silently over dead leaves and twigs. Its long tail held high, it dove and ducked through trees, under branches, showing no signs of tiring, its shadow-like movements not perceptible enough to awaken the bugs and mice that lived in the grass it shot over, leaving no stem bent to mark its passing.

Suddenly, as if it had been stabbed, it dropped to its knees, gnarled claws clutching its head as it thrashed about, as if in agony. It threw back its head and howled, a five-foot-long plume of blue flame shooting from its wide open gullet, and a flock of birds burst from the nearby trees in startled flight, frightened from their nests and branches. The creature took no notice, writhing and shaking convulsively on the dirt, foam busting from its lips to drip down its neck, its claws digging into the ground, leaving long, angry marks.

It gurgled, whimpered, grew still. At last, it rose shakily to its feet and wiped its muzzle, then shook its head and resumed running. The long journey had weakened it, to be sure, but its mind was bent on some far-away goal, its eyes set foreword while its mind sifted back through ages as dark and twisted and the rage that wormed away in its heart.

...

_"Thule? You wanted to see me, my friend?" The short, stocky Dragon stood next to her closest...indeed, her only...friend; Thule Shurotu, the Tiger General. _

_"We've been asked to leave, Lu. We can't come back to this place." Thule looked away, not wanting to see the crushed expression on his savior's face. "We leave in two days."_

_"Oh." A small sound, not at all what he was expecting; Lu-Yin Yari was a Dragon of immoderate temper, and she had scoured him more than once with her infamously sharp tongue._

_"If we don't leave in a few days, the Elders will kill us...my men, and myself." He gave a chuckle, rubbing the patch of dark blue fur on his chin, his one good eye shining cobalt in the rapidly-fading light. Lu didn't seem amused._

_"As if they could lay a finger on you, Thule, you fool," Lu muttered. "I would love to see those weak-minded imbeciles who call themselves warriors-!"_

_"Calm down, battleaxe."_

_"You hush, you pussycat!" Thule threw back his head and roared with laughter, turning to face the jungle as the sun set. A few glittering stars made their presence known, and all was silent._

_Lu-Yin gave a sigh._

_"You could stay, you know," she said softly, making him chuckle again._

_"Perhaps, if you weren't afraid to use that magic flowing through your veins..."_

_"Or if YOU weren't afraid to use that pistol at your side!" Her voice had risen. "Damn you, would you at least LOOK at me?" Her voice cracked, and he turned to face her, noticing that the fading sun had tinted her white-golden scales a deep blood-red. She was shaking, angry, hot tears pricking the corners of her eyes._

_"Lu..."_

_"Why would you let my hypocritical breed push you and your men out, Thule? You are no coward. Why act like one?" He sighed and came closer, cupping the clamp that served as his left hand under her chin, tilting her face up. His stomach flipped at the way her lips were rosy with anger, her brown eyes heated, and he managed to suppress a shiver._

_"I don't want to leave them with violence. Please, Lu-Yin...you have to understand..." _

_"All I understand is that the man I healed is leaving to throw himself into danger again." Worry, Thule realized, was what he saw reflected in those eyes. Suddenly, she seemed like the very embodiment of a terrified mother, weariness and fear covered by a thin mask of cool-headed apathy. _

_"The longer I stay here, the harder it will be to accomplish my goal. Already, the forest-devils from across the sea are coming to try and re-claim the lands I've won." His expression was closed, but Lu saw something warm and kind in his cobalt eye. "When I can...I will come back for you. You will always be my...my friend." She smiled at him._

_"And how do you plan to do that?" she asked, so softly that it didn't seem rude. "A woman is only allowed to leave with her husband. That foul magic that streams from the temple prevents otherwise."_

_"Is that so?" Thule asked, his tail twitching slightly before relaxing again. He let go of her and thoughtfully rubbed the patch of fur on his chin again, trying to conceal the thoughts that were crashing about his head, in tune to the steadily rising pulse of his heart. _

_Lu-Yin sighed, looking down._

_"I _will _miss you..." she said softly. "...You big pussy."_

_"I'll miss you, you scaly-skinned old hag." Thule grinned as she chuckled. He then looked down, as if a thought had struck him. "...You said a woman can leave with her husband, right?"_

_"If the husband is from somewhere else. The Elders came up with that rule a long time ago, not that it's ever been used."_

_"Then perhaps..." _

_"Perhaps what?" Lu gave him a shrewd look. "What's going on in that mind, Thule?"_

_"Your freedom. Marry me." As soon as he said it, his face blushed a brilliant red, and he fought to maintain his composure. _

_She was silent, her eyes wide, a slow flush tinting her cheeks pink. She turned away and hid her face in her hands, and Thule immediately thought he had offended her._

_"You don't have to," he said quickly, stepping forward and reaching his hand and claw out, as if to reassure her. "I just assumed that you wanted to leave-" _

_With swiftness that startled him, she turned and crushed her lips to his. Fire erupted in the pit of his belly, and a delicious shudder ripped through him, his eye closing, his arms folding around her. _

_However long they kissed, Thule couldn't tell, but, when Lu pulled away, he found himself wondering why she had broken their embrace so soon; he still wanted to hold her, to smell the clean scent of her scales._

_She smiled at him, eyes sparkling._

_"You're a fool, Thule," she said softly. "You realize that, correct?"_

_"Of course, you beauty." She laughed and rested her head against his chest._

_"I'm a fool as well." He let his arms snake around her again, a deep purr thrumming in his chest._

_"Then we won't fight about it anymore." He chuckled. "Come now. Let's go tell my men the good news." His arm around her waist, they made their way back to the village._

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**Yep, starts slow. I'll be posting more online within the next few weeks, and the next chapter should be done in a couple of days. **

**Review! Review, I tells you! MUAHAHAHAHAHA- **

**...I should probably lie down. **

**Cheers!**


	2. Old Nightmares

**Yep. I'm a TG fan. What can I say; I mean, the guy looks like a giant, angry, war-mongering kitten! **

**Hmmm...'War Kitten.' Nice.**

**Anyhoos, please note that most of the reviews don't apply to this story, but the story that this WAS, before I used this space for THIS story...aww, Hell! **

**Anyways, here's chapter two! EEEeee...**

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_Flippy found himself standing in a clearing, dazed and confused. Sharp, biting chemicals stung his nose, making his eyes water, and screams and scattered gunshot were audible through the trees of the jungle._

_Trying to get his bearings, he looked around, a faint sense of recognition drifting through his muddled brain, then looked down to realize that he held a pizza box in his shaking hands. Hesitantly, he opened it, revealing a few grease stains and a long, wicked-looking knife._

_Realization struck him and he threw the box down, taking off through the trees, breath coming in sharp gasps, barely audible over the blood surging through his ears. Footsteps began to pound behind him, and someone threw themselves against his back, shoving him roughly to the ground._

_"Muahahaha! Still incompetent, little bear?" a deep, sharp-edged voice growled. "Still incompetent, though you come with many and I stand alone?" Flippy could do no more than shake, curled up as he was, and the voice gave another laugh. "I remember you well, little fool..." The cruel bite of cold metal stung Flippy as he was lifted by the scruff of his neck, and he hung, screaming and thrashing, from the claw that had impaled him and lifted him from the ground._

_The Tiger General stood there, eye shining, teeth bared in a ferocious grin. _

_"Say something, forest-devil!" he growled. "Say something to make me let you go."_

_"P-please..." Flippy choked. "...Please don't h-hurt me..." The Tiger General smiled, his expression softening greatly._

_"Would you like me to let you go?" he asked, gently, and Flippy froze, unsettled by the glint in the General's dark blue eye._

_"Y-yes, p-please," he whimpered as meekly as possible. The General smiled, giving an almost-fatherly chuckle._

_"Very well." His expression of benign kindness unchanging, he opened his claw._

_Flippy found himself tumbling down a cliff face, screaming, still able to hear the General's mocking laughter over the sounds of his fear, the rushing wind, the faint roar of the ground that rushed to dash him to pieces._

_As he hit, he felt no pain. Instead, a red haze moved in to cloud his vision, and there, a few feet away, was the dead Tiger General. Mud and blood was spattered across his uniform, his mouth hanging open, eye glassy. His claw had been ripped off, leaving the bare stub of flesh exposed, and Flippy chuckled at how pathetic he looked, now that he had been defeated; a mere pussy-cat after all._

_He felt a sudden, sharp sting, followed by a throbbing pain that crept up his arms, and he looked down, his eyes meeting only jagged wrist-bones; the bastard had cut his hands off! With a roar of agony and rage, he flung himself at the dead General and began to dismember his body, ripping his belly open, tearing through his sternum, snapping the arms and legs, slicing his face from his skull. The scent of blood washed over him, making him excited, fueling his anger like some sort of stimulant. He, drunk with his victory, threw back his head and howled, as if telling whatever lurked in the jungle that HE was the alpha, that no creature could stand before him without being crushed._

_A soft sound drifted through the trees, making him pause mid-roar and turn, ears pricked forward, red haze retreating. There it was again; a woman wailing in the language used by most creatures of East Jungle, her voice sad and unearthly. A few yards away, something huge was moving through the trees, snaking around trunks, tossing a head adorned with two long, curving horns; a Dragon._

_Fear bit at Flippy, and he jumped up and hid behind an especially large tree trunk, his back to the rough bark, holding his breath as he felt her come closer. He could feel her presence, her hot breath swirling around the tree, and he wondered if she would rip the tree down and crush him in her claws, or simply burn both the tree and him. He choked back a whimper, eyes screwed shut as he waited for the blast of fire he felt was sure to come._

_The Dragon growled...and Flippy felt her giant form withdraw, leaving him. He let out a sigh, his body relaxing, then turned to look around the trunk, thankful to see that she was gone completely, out of sight once more._

_Smiling, he turned back and found himself staring into an open maw rimmed with teeth longer than his legs, each one pointed as delicately as a sewing needle._

_A tongue, sharp as a whip, lashed out and grabbed him, cutting through his uniform, slicing through his skin, the sharp spines hooking into his muscles. He screamed as he was dragged towards the maw, and a surge of blue fire rushed up her gullet to greet him..._

...And he awoke, tangled in the bed sheets, soaked through with a cold sweat. A feline sat on the edge of his bed, blue fur glowing softly in the dim light, one cobalt eye meeting his, and Flippy panicked, pushing the covers off and jumping up, eyes gone from raven black to emerald green, crooked, sharp teeth bared.

"DIE, BASTARD!" he roared, plunging his fist towards the feline's face with all intention to destroy.

"Oh no you don't, sugar!" A slender hand caught his oncoming fist and held him still, and the feline's one eye glowed a blinding blue, and the light, as if touched by an invisible hand, clicked itself on.

Flippy growled and flung his free hand over his stinging eyes, and the hand holding his fist let go. He looked up, eyes watering.

There, one eye swollen shut, was Eerie, the light blue feline-demon that lived with Flippy. She looked rumpled, as if she had been woken up in a hurry, and a dark bruise bloomed on her cheek.

"Eerie?" Flippy winced; his voice was still ragged from roaring.

"Hey, Flip." She smoothed back her darker head-fur, looking slightly annoyed, then sat down on the edge of the bed. She held her arms out, and he sat down next to her, contentedly snuggling against her as she stroked her graceful hands through his fur.

"What happened?"

"You must have had a nightmare, hon." She gently touched the bruise on her face. "You were thrashing something awful."

"I hit you, didn't I?"

"It didn't hurt a bit."

"Sorry..." Flippy tentatively brushed one hand across the bruise, then over her swollen eye, and the irony almost made him laugh. "You know, when I saw you, you looked just like..."

"I know, hon." She pressed a tender kiss to his forehead. "I know. Don't worry about it." He slipped his arms around her, head nestled against her chest, and she shifted the both of them until they were lying down again. Flippy sighed, nuzzling her.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, closing his eyes. A small shudder ripped through him before he looked up, emerald eyes sweeping over the damage he had done. When he spoke, his voice was rough and low. "I'm sorry too, my kitten."

"It's fine, sugar," she repeated. "Don't worry about it. The _both_ of you."

"Okay, babe." He leaned up and kissed her, then pulled back and studied her face. "In truth, you _do_ look just like old 'Tiger-Claw' himself. You even might be related."

"Ugh." Eerie shoved him off of her and rolled over, and Flippy chuckled, cuddling up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, his lips against the back of her neck.

"Aw, c'mon, kitten," he purred, his words whispered into her fur. "You know I'm just pulling your tail..." As if to prove his point, he tugged gently on the tip of her tail, moving it aside, and she huffed.

"Very well," she said slowly, half-turning to look at him. "But I swear, if you call me by his name-"

"I'm not gay," Flippy growled, then grabbed her wrists and turned her onto her back, pinning her down. He grinned, his narrowed eyes meeting her gaze; she looked, for the moment, as if she wouldn't mind tying him up and using him as a punching bag. "Would you like me to prove it to you?" His voice came out in a rasping hiss, and she stuck her tongue out.

"If you can, you old teddy-bear." Flippy chuckled before crushing his mouth, none too gently, against hers.

As if by its own accord, the light clicked off.

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**Short chapter. Again. I've been rushed for time and...well...yeah.**

**[sigh]**

**It'll get better, I swear. I'm too tired right now to think.**

**Next chapter will be up next week. I promises.**

**Cheers!**


	3. Toothy's Discovery

**And we've moved. No joke. Our new house is so old that it still has a bomb shelter. (-_-') Oh well...I actually like it. It's...bomb-shelter-y.**

**Anyways, someone told me that the two names I picked for the Tiger General and Lu are strange for Asian names. That's because their not supposed to sound like any ethnicity, but still exotic when placed next to the names of the normal Happy Tree Friends; Thule, which doesn't describe the character at all, versus Toothy, which does.**

**Anyways, LET'S GET A MOVE ON!**

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Toothy was poking about the caves early the next morning, down by the seashore on the western side of Happy Tree. Armed with nothing more than a simple flashlight, he explored every jutted hollow of rock, pocketing the few interesting things he had managed to find; an old coin clanged against a rare bottlecap, both wrapped up in a sun-bleached silken scarf. The tangy, salty sea air delighted him, as did the distant calls of seabirds, and, unlike most trips to the shore, he had so far escaped uninjured.

It was there, in one of the deeper caves, that he found the Dragon.

She was culed up in sleep, though her rest seemed anything but restful; she convulsed and shook, gurgling and whimpering as if she were in pain, claws screeching against the sandy stone floor. Toothy, though his instincts told him to be afraid, came closer, wondering if she was hurt, and debated running to find Splendid against simply waking her up. It then occured to him that, if he managed to find the bumbling superhero, she might have died, and he had no way of knowing if she was one of the few Happy Tree Friends that couldn't come back.

Gathering his courage, he placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her, gently. Her eyes shot open as she growled deep in her throat, her limbs still shuddering in spasms as she lifted her upper body off of the cave's stone floor, foam dripping down her chest. She arched her back and gave a long, pained howl before flopping down again, panting, and Toothy came a little closer, shining the flashlight down onto her face. Her brown eyes rolled upwards to look at him, ears pressed back, arms spread-eagled on the sandy, grey rock. She seemed in great agony, pain strong enough to confuse her mind, to make her want to lash out at others, and the lavander beaver felt pity for her.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, kneeling down to look at her. She froze at the sound of his voice, her eyes growing wide, pupils shrinking into mere slits, lips curling back to reveal a razor-tipped maw.

"Forest...Devil..." she hissed. "Your kind DESTROYED ME!" She lunged upwards, pouncing on Toothy, knocking the flashlight from his hands. It fell to the floor with a clatter before flickering and dying, leaving the cave bathed in suffocating darkness.

Toothy felt her strong, slender fingers cut into his throat, claws digging into the skin, cutting off his air supply. Spots danced and popped in his vision as his lungs began to burn, and he flailed, thrashing wildly, trying to throw her off or break her grip.

Instead, she stood, dragging him with her, then flung him against a wall. He rolled onto his side, coughing and gagging, taking in great gulps of air, every outward breath a sob. His throat was bruised, he knew, and he had felt his skin catch against a sharp rock, and knew it was torn to the muscle, and blood soaked his soft fur.

The Dragon seemed to have retreated into her own thoughts, now leaning against the opposite wall like a frail old woman, mumbling to herself.

"My husband...the Forest Devils took him from me..." Her accent was heavy and harsh to Toothy's ears, so thick that he could hardly understand her.

"H-huh?" She turned her insane amber orbs on him and he shrank away, shaking.

"My husband," she murmured. All rage seemed to have been drained from her in her outburst. "My husband is waiting for me. I...I have to escape from here and find him." Toothy managed to pull himself to his feet, massaging his bruised and swollen throat with one hand.

"Look, lady," he said, a little shakily, still hurt from her attack. "You obviously need help." Her large eyes searched his, her gaze confused and bewildered, like a lost child.

"Who are you, young man?" she asked, unsteadily. "I don't recognize you."

"But..but you..." Toothy was starting to realize just how far gone this creature truly was. "You don't...remember?"

"No..." She wavered on her weakened legs, and Toothy, against his every instinct, ducked under her shoulder to prop her up, and he began to lead her out of the cave as if she were an old, weak woman.

Which, it would have disturbed him to find out, she was.

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_""The Dragons attacked AGAIN yesterday!" Thule growled, adressing his commanders. "Why were you not there to hold them back? Why, pray tell, did my WIFE have to go out there and beat them back into the jungle?" The Tiger commanders looked away, unable to meet Thule's angry gaze, looking instead to Lu, who glared steadily at him._

_"S-sir," a Tiger said, saluting. "With all due respect, Lu asked us to-"_

_"Quiet!"_

_"B-b-but sir, she could easily-"_

_"I SAID SILENCE!" The Tiger shrank back from his leader, shaking. Thule growled at him, then turned his eye onto Lu. She stared back, teeth bared, eyes narrowed, hands clenched into fists. _

_"Thule..." she hissed. "We need to talk." Thule huffed, then waved his hand towards the door._

_"Go," he commanded to his men. "You're dismissed." They gratefully filed out, some mouthing silent thank-yous to the Dragon, who waited until the last Tiger had left, closing the door behind him, before making her way to Thule._

_"That was uncalled for," she hissed, and he growled at her, teeth bared, hackles raised._

_"So was you helping the men. If they can't beat your family on their own, they aren't worth saving!" Her large amber eyes narrowed further, her face flushed with anger. _

_"Let me fight, Thule."_

_"No!" He grabbed her by the wrists and brought his face close to hers, almost close enough to kiss, had either of them wanted. "You KNOW why I can't let you do that, Lu! God damn it, you know FULL WELL that I can't-!"_

_"Shut up and listen to me!" She was shouting now, but it didn't matter if the men overheard them; they both knew they'd all be listening anyways. "You know I can get rid of them for good, Thule, if you'd just stop being so childish-"_

_"I WON'T SEND YOU TO YOUR DEATH!" His full-on roar brought silence, and he drew in a heavy, shaking breath. "Lu, don't do this to me. Don't force me to lose you. I'm not strong enough, you KNOW I'm not strong enough-" She brought a hand up and placed it over his mouth, her anger evaporating, leaving tenderness in its place._

_"Do you trust me?" she asked softly, and he closed his eye, his head drooping down, and she moved her hand to stroke his cheek. _

_"Yes," he whispered, knowing he had lost. "I trust you." She smiled and nuzzled him, and he leaned into her touch, his arms enfolding her as he pressed his lips to hers. After a few moments, she pulled away, smiling._

_"I should get ready."_

_"Yes."_

_"It's a three-day hike to the Dragon territory."_

_"I know." He led her down the hall, his arm around her waist, the other holding her hand. Thule broke their embrace to open the door to their bedroom for Lu, letting her step inside first before quietly closing the door behind him. He took his claw off and set it on the bedside table, and she paused in opening a pack to smile at him._

_"And what, pray tell, is on your mind?" she asked, and he chuckled, gesturing for her to come closer. As she did so, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down onto their bed, pressing a very soft kiss to her lips. She laughed and playfully swatted him with a pillow, and he grinned. "What are you doing, you old dog?"_

_"Well, it isn't only the fact that I'll miss you, that I have six long, lonely nights ahead of me, as do you, or the fact that I love you completely..." Here, he began to laugh. "...But won't the other Dragons hate you for coming back smelling like a Tiger?"_

_"Well then," she said dryly, grinning. "You'd better cover me well so that it doesn't wear off too soon." Thule kissed her before unbuttoning her uniform shirt, pressing his lips to her breastbone, looking up to meet her gaze as he stroked her cheek with his hand._

_"It's a cruel prank to play on your family," he sighed. "But I suppose I can humor you just this once..." With that, he crushed his lips to hers._

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**Oooh, naughties! Sorry about the long wait; we moved, as I said. **

**REVIEW! REVIEW, I COMMANDS YOU ALL! MUAHAHAHA- *cough***

**Cheers!**


	4. The Wraith

**Hey, guys. I'm tired. And bored. And a little hungry. **

**Anyone else want a sandwich? No? Fine.**

**Here's chapter four. *falls asleep***

...

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Toothy sat at the kitchen table, peering anxiously into the kitchen, where the Dragon stood at a counter, stirring soup in a squat little pan. The tight, angry lines of her face had relaxed, and she was humming happily, her golden-white scales shinging in the shafts of light that broke through the shutters. Little flames danced over the scales of her hands, darting into the pan, flickering over the metal.

Depite her serene appearance, Toothy was afraid. The bruises of his throat still burned, and his back, though bandaged, was throbbing with dull thuds of pain, and no amount of shifting or sitting still would ease them.

As if sensing his gaze, she looked up and smiled, her brown eyes wrinkling at the corners.

"You are hungry, yes?" she asked, and he nodded. She nodded back and daintily lifted the spoon to her lips, taking a sip. With a small sound of satisfaction, she took the pan off of the stove, and at once the flames on her scales went out. Toothy shuddered and hid his face in his hands, not wanting to think about how magical fire could be used in the hands of a mad creature such as the Dragon.

A small _thump_ made him look up; she had set a steaming bowl in front of him, and, not taking her eyes from his, seated herself across from him with her own dish.

"It has been years, it seems," she said, haltingly. "Since I have tasted food."

"Oh." Toothy tried to stop himself from squeaking as he responded. "That's too bad." He sipped his soup, prefering to look anywhere than her brown eyes or the serene smile on her face.

She took a sip, her gaze going from his to the window, her lips curling back in a grin that was almost a snarl, revealing her sharp teeth, and Toothy shuddered, deciding to turn and follow her stare to the window.

A cardinal, brilliant in hue, flitted about the windowsill, its beady black eyes wide as it turned its head one way, staring at the Dragon, then twisted its neck the other way, looking with the other eye.

Toothy gave a shiver, then turned to look at the Dragon and felt his heart lurch, his body going stiff. She was staring at him now, her grin wider, her eyes glowing with insanity, wide with anger depite the smile.

Heat, more powerful than the occasonal fire he stumbled into, swept over him, and he screamed as blue fire, hotter than any he had ever felt, crept up his legs, his skin blackening and cracking as the fat from his bones melted. The fire reached his flailing arms, destroying them to the bone, and his eyes burst into clouds of bloody steam, and his skull clattered onto the table, cracked and scortched.

The Dragon sipped her soup and went back to staring out the window, and the cardinal flitted away.

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Flippy sat by himself in the park, a bottle of soda in one hand, a bag of birdseed in the other. Multi-coloured birds flitted about his ankes, pecking at the stones, chirruping eagerly for a treat. He grinned and scooped up a generous handful, letting the small seeds patter down to the birds, who gathered around it, different calls springing forth from several different throats.

With a soft laugh, he went back to spying on Eerie, who was sitting two benches away with Gryffin, who held a gurgling, happy baby demon on her knee; Pazuzu, the four-armed tentacled beast that Gryffin had adopted as her own.

The two women chatted away happily, Eerie speaking with animation, while Gryffin kept herself busy by feeding Pazuzu handfuls of meat from a basket. Flippy took a swallow of soda, chuckling to himself as Eerie hoisted Paz into her lap and nuzzled his sharp little beak, and the baby demon responded by grabbing a handful of her headfur and squealing, making Gryffin laugh.

All in all, the peace and serenity that held the scene should have, to Flippy, been a forewarning of chaos to ensue, but he was too absorbed in watching his girlfriend try to remove a tentacle end from her hair to be bothered with his own paranoia. He took another handful of seed, about to scatter it to his birds, when a cardinal, brilliant in hue to the point of blinding, landed on his outstretched arm and eyed him with startling severity.

Flippy paused, in awe at the tiny creature, and it hopped to his hand and pecked at the seeds he had been about to scatter to the other birds, and at the other bench, Gryffin and Eerie had both looked up, uneasy. The cat demon glanced at her former host, who folded her wings around the both of them, glancing fearfully up at the sky as if checking for rain.

A warning came in the form of Pazuzu, who looked around at the bird and began to scream, his little beak snapping open and shut as he wailed a klaxon like a fire alarm. The birds at Flippy's ankles scattered, but the cardinal remained, its beady eyes widening, and Flippy was unable to look away as its head began to lengthen, flattening, the soft chirp from its throat becoming harsh, gritty.

Eerie and Gryffin, having noticed Flippy, shot to their feet, Gryffin setting Pazuzu down before spreading her white wings and shooting at the cardinal, which had hooked its talons into Flippy's arm and begun to grow, its body stretching, looping and twisting like that of a sperpent. Flippy, who had been frozen with shock, began to struggle as the creature wound its body around him and squeezed, and he felt his ribs crack, a raspy scream breaking loose of his air-starved throat.

The creature whipped its head at Gryffin, knocking her away, and she fell in a crumpled heap, her grey eyes lifeless. The beast roared and dove foreword at Flippy's chest, the thin body dissolving as it forced its way into Flippy's body, and Eerie attempted to grab it, but the smoke-like tail whipped through her fingers and dissapeared into him, and he fell over and lay completely still.

Pazuzu was wailing, bent over the form of his still mother, and Eerie shook Flippy, his head lolling from side to side, green eyes unfocused.

"Flippy? FLIPPY!" He gave a soft groan, and his eyes faded back to black. Eerie watched as he grimaced, curling his knees up to his chest.

"Oh God..." he moaned, then began to choke. "What the HELL was that?" She placed her hand on his forehead, reaching down and unzipping his jacket, and his eyes grew wide.

There, burnt into his chest, was a long, roping white scar that wound across his chest, down to his stomach; the place where the wraith had entered him. Eerie gingerly touched it, and he flinched away, his breath hissing in.

"We need to get you home," she said grimly. "Until we can figure out what its done to you, and who sent it. Up you go..." She slid her shoulder under his arm, helping him to his feet, and turned to look at Gryffin, worry apparent in her bright blue eyes. "Poor girl..."

"Ughnnnn..." The miniature alien was stirring already, her grey eyes unfocused. "Owwwww..."

"MOMMY!" Pazuzu gave a squeal of delight and lept onto her face, looping his tentacles around her neck and plastering her with sloppy kisses, and Eerie gave a sigh of relief, wrapping her other arm around Flippy's waist to hold him upright.

"Gryffin?" she said. "You okay, hon?" Her friend put a shaking hand to her head, looking slightly dazed.

"I'm fine, love," she replied in her soft, relaxed accent. "What _was_ that?"

"I don't know," Eerie replied, glancing at Flippy, who was weaving slightly on his feet as if he might lose conciousness again. "I need to get _him_ home, I know that much." Gryffin rose to her feet and shook out her feathers, smoothing the white robe she always wore.

"Would you like some help?"

"I've got it. You get back to Mime." Eerie gave Gryffin a smile, despite her apparant weariness. "Congratulations, by the way. I can't wait for the wedding."

"Thank you." She was looking at Flippy, her lips pursed slightly. "Eerie, if you need _anything_-"

"I'll come straight to you. I promise." She gave her friend another smile, then turned, slowly, to avoid making Flippy lose his ballance, and began to walk away.

Gryffin gently scratched Pazuzu under the chin of his beak, her ears drooping, the tips of her wings sagging to the dust.

"I don't like the looks of this, Paz," she murmured. "I don't like this one bit."

* * *

**And a wOoT. It is done. **

**The chapter, not the story. Nope, I've still got a lot to do. What I would like to know now is this; WHERE IS EVERYBODY? THIS PART OF THE SITE HAS BEEN DEAD FOR OVER A MONTH! *bricked***

**This is why we can't have nice things. *bricked again***

**C'mon, guys, I feel like I'm on a deserted island! OH, THE HUMANITY! *hit by bus***

**Chapter five shall be along soon. I swears it. **

**Cheers!**


	5. The Slaughter

**Heeeeey, kids! Who else wants to hear another chapter of drabble?**

**How about you? No? What about you? 'Fuck off,' you say? Okay, then you! No? You? No? Mother? 'I wish I'd aborted you?' Nice, Mom.**

**No one wants to read this, right? TOO BAD, SUCKERS! AHAHAHA!**

* * *

Flippy awoke, his body exausted, cold sweat running down his face, unable to speak or breathe. He, too disoriented to see anything other than blurry shapes that whirrled about his line of vision, clawed frantically at the air, attempting to fight off whatever was suffocating him, and he felt Eerie's slender hands slide under his back, helping him sit up.

Something shifted in his throat, and he drew in a sharp breath, the cold air sending stinging pain through his throat and lungs. He attempted to focus on the blue blur that he knew was Eerie's face, but the attempt only made things slide further out of focus.

"Shhh, hon," she cooed, placing a cold rag on his forehead. "Calm down a bit." He tried to ask her what was going on, but all he could manage was a harsh croak, and she placed her hand on his mouth. "You need to rest, Flip. You're...sick."

He heard the door open, and soft footsteps approached, bringing a clean, almost sterile scent. If he strained, he could barely hear snatches of whispered conversation.

"-Came here as fast as your sister could fly..."

"He's getting worse, and his eye-"

"-It'll have to come out. I should just re-generate if he dies-"

"-but what if...Handy?"

"We have to risk it, Eerie." It dawned on Flippy who the other person was, and sure enough, he felt a pair of tiny, child-like hands move over his face before feeling the lumps on either side of his neck.

"S-Sniffles?" he rasped, and Eerie's hand took one of his, stroking it gently.

"He's here to help you, Flip. You'll be okay."

"That's right," Sniffles said in his high-pitched voice; still a child, he was already the best surgeon in Happy Tree. "You've got nothing to worry about, Flippy. Just relax." A mask was slipped over his face, and a slightly sweet smell filled his nose before his eyelids became heavy. He was hardly aware of drifting off.

* * *

_Lu-Yin stood in the midst of the village, her uniform spattered with blood, magic pulsing from her in waves. Every man and woman in the town was dead, murdered by her own hand, from her hated parents to every male that had thrown a rock at her in the streets. _

_None had been spared, and the lone Dragon wandered from building to building, reveling in the gore of her single-bodied onslaught. _

_While she knew she was in the middle of what should have felt like a victory, something bothered her, and she bit her lower lip as she turned her head towards the temple that was the heart of the village; where were the children?_

_She climbed the steps to the dusty building, and pink petals from a blooming tree wafted down from its branches and stuck to the blood on her face; she gently brushed them off, letting them drift to the threshold of the temple. The tension in her belly was building, and she knew whatever waited inside wasn't going to be easy to see._

_Lu-Yin leaned against the door and pushed it open before stepping inside, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the hallway, and the familiar scent of insence, wax, and dust met her, making her stomach clench with hatred; often, she had been sent here, forced to kneel behind the altar, rest her forehad on the smooth wood, and pray._

_As she walked down the hall, a flickering light shone out of the corner of her eye, and she turned to find that the door to the main altar was slightly ajar. _

_She turned, walked in, then stopped, her amber eyes growing wide, her breath catching at the horrific sight that spread before her._

_Every child from the village, from infants to adolecent Dragonlings, was laying upon the smooth surface of the altar. They were still, and when Lu-Yin came closer, she saw that each delicate throat had been slit, and that the wood was dark with their blood. _

_A newborn, still wrapped in the blanket it had been delivered with, looked as if it might have been sleeping, if not for the stain that spread over the fabric like spilled wine, and when she picked it up, she found that it was still warm, the blood still wet. _

_Numbly, she sank to her knees, her wide eyes passing over each face; two young ones lay holding each other, two little girls that had most likely died trying to protect each other from whomever had commited this atrocity. An adolecent male had his arm thrown over the cowering form of a female. Most of the children still wore expressions of fear, and the infants looked as if they had died screaming._

_She lowered her head over the dead newborn and brushed her hand over its face, then stood, and the glint of a piece of metal caught her eye, and she turned. There, shimmering in the candlight was the knife used for flesh sacrifices, wet with the spattered lives of the children. The Dragons had sacrificed their own offspring to their twisted goddess in an attempt to save themselves._

_Lu-Yin set the baby aside, leaving the altar, making her way to the outskirts of the village. She held up her hand, and a blue flame danced and sparked in her palm as she knelt, setting it down on one of the Dragons she had killed. It engulfed the body before leaping to another, growing, spreading until the entire town was bathed in light, and the temple, the resting place of the tainted magic, crumbled to ash._

_Her mission finally complete, she turned to begin the long treck back to the base, but found her way blocked by a barrier she couldn't see, one that her magic couldn't break. Something foul and black swooped down over her, and her mind snapped as her magic spurt from her as blood would gush from a slit wrist._

* * *

**Anyone else hearing 'the Deul of Fates' from Star Wars? *shivers* I'm getting goosebumps!**

**Yeah, I bet you though I lied when I said chapter five was on its way! Well, I didn't. Wasn't. Weren't. Whatever.**

**Re. Veiw. PLEASE!**

**Cheers!**


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